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NAR, Realtor.com, ForSaleByOwner.com - Too Much Misinformation!

Over the last couple of days, I've read so many posts here on Active Rain and on other blogs outside AR talking about the brazeness of NAR and REALTOR.com seling out to ForSaleByOwner.com by allowing for-sale-by-owners listings into REALTOR.com. How dare they do that to REALTORS, etc., etc.

ForSaleByOwner.com put out a press release stating they'd worked out a deal to get the first ever access to put listings up on REALTOR.com without having those listings go through any local MLS. Apparently that press release was not based on any facts nor any such agreement with REALTOR.com or Move.com, which operates REALTOR.com.

The press release put out by NAR can be read here ---> "ForSaleByOwner.com Statement Misleading"

The bullets from NAR, per a response Saul Klein of Internet Crusade received from NAR and published on RealTalk are these:

This announcement was issued without REALTOR.com's knowledge or participation and unfortunately is misleading to both consumers and the REALTOR community. We've asked ForSaleByOwner.com to issue a retraction today.
There is no formal relationship between ForSaleByOwner.com and REALTOR.com.
While there are many perspectives regarding the DOJ-NAR settlement, it is our opinion that the settlement agreement made no provision to allow unlisted properties, such as "for-sale-by-owner," to be posted on REALTOR.com.
In order for a listing to appear on REALTOR.com, it needs to be placed in an MLS. As a result, every property on REALTOR.com must be listed by a licensed real estate broker.
From what we understand, ForSaleByOwner.com is using the following process: ForSaleByOwner.com is working with licensed Brokers who enter the listings on an MLS. In turn, the MLS sends the listings to REALTOR.com and we display them on the site. Thus, such ForSaleByOwner.com listings are no longer "For Sale By Owner" listings, but in fact Broker represented.

REALTOR

Hillary Marsh, the Managing Director of REALTOR.org, wrote a post refuting what ForSaleByOwner.com put. Her article is here ---> "What ForSaleByOwner.com Said is SO Not True!"

Hillary's bullets in her article are:

They are NOT in a partnership with REALTOR.com
The settlement between NAR and the DOJ did NOT force REALTOR.com to accept FSBO property listings
Properties from sellers not represented by REALTORS will NOT appear on REALTOR.com
MLS's still get to decide which listings to distribute to REALTOR.com

There's an abundance of misinformation out there on all kinds of things, and many are far too quick to buy into it because they read it online and/or because it's written by certain people or showed up on certain blogs so it must be true. I just wanted to get the real information out there in the hopes that those who've read the posts with the incorrect information in it will see that what ForSaleByOwner.com put out there is NOT the truth at all. And that despite many shortcomings, REALTOR.com or Move.com did not sell us out on this one.......... not yet anyway.

Ann Cummings, New Hampshire REALTOR
RE/MAX Coast to Coast
Portsmouth NH
  ann@anncummings.com
      888-349-5678     x 3839
Servicing the Coastal Areas of NH & Southern Maine

Posted by Portsmouth NH Homes Condos - Ann Cummings New Hampshire REALTOR® on 11/17/2008 10:38 AM

Comments (81)

NAR and REALTOR.Com in the ActiveRain Channel

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81 Comments on NAR, Realtor.com, ForSaleByOwner.com - Too Much Misinformation!

NOV

It was very sneaky of them and I am glad that NAR is vocal about the issue...

your friend in Charlottesville!

Hi Ann,

The problem with the average consumer is they don't know whats really going on in the background. Most think R.com is great and that's only because they are probably the most exposed place to go to buy a home...they just don't realize to most Realtors that it sucks! I wasted money using them over the years and it's all just fluff. I'm not sure about this FSBO thing but I'm sure it isn't helping us. We pay a lot of money to aaccess the MLS and so if these other entities want access then let them pay just like us. Just my humble opinion.

Very interesting post. It's good that NAR stepped up and said something.

It is amazing Ann how the fsbo site has twisted the facts on what the real deal is.

This is all very interesting. Unfortunately, we see all to often these "entry only listings - agent will perfom limited functions - contact seller for appointment, etc" on our MLS. In actuality, we all know that these are FSBO listings that are on the MLS. However, what brokers may not know is that once a REALTOR® touches a listing - even as an entry only listing - they are responsible to ensure that the FSBO seller complies with the ethics and fair housing laws of our state as well as federal systems. That is to say, they cannot discriminate against the family with young kids, or only let people of a certain color or religion see the house. If this happens, the listing broker is going to get cited.

Nothing is free in this world. The message above is evidence that FSBO sellers NEED the marketing power of the internet and MLS to sell their properties. For this there is a price. And it shouldn't be a quick $500 to a listing broker who is out to make that quick buck by specializing in "entry only listings".

Thank you for this post. I think the folks at NAR need to roll up their sleeves and GET NASTY . I have seen them on hearing at Congress. They are nice and professional. But they need to be wield the power of a lobby that has more members than antbody else. We need to do things like endorse candidates who are favorable to our business. Even if some of us do not like that paritcular candidate.

It was quite the story last week. Have THEY posted a retraction to their misleading press release?

Ann, I've read the other posts here on ActiveRain. Thank you for setting the story straight.

Ann.... as I started blogging 2 years ago, I have seen a few sites here and there put out misleading mortgage information, especially about FHA mortgages. But as more and more use the internet, I am finding more and more information that is beyond misleading. You wish there would be some kind of fine for this. It's starting to get out of control.

Kris Wales wrote about this the other day.... Pleading for help from real estate professionals nationwide - let's counter the misinformation with the truth It's getting really bad, misleading information not only from the media, other companies, but from the general public or past wannabees.... and I don't see it getting any better in the distant future.

jeff belonger

You know what is sad? The sad thing to me is that REALTOR.COM has lost the confidence of their REALTORS - long before this happened. It's sad that it was BELIEVABLE - it's sad that most REALTORS didn't jump up and say "That's INSANE - REALTOR.COM would never do that to us."

The sad thing is, this sort of thing could very well have been true, and it wouldn't have surprised any of us - we're used to getting shafted by REALTOR.COM and this would only be one more time....

I'm glad it's not true, and am actually mildly surprised that it's not.

Thanks for setting things straight. Seems like Realtor.com is on top of things. Great information.

more misinformation by realtors, realtor.com, fsbo.com, forsalebyowner.com? or just agents with big mouths who blab when they dont know what is really going on?

I was just talking about this to my broker, just the other day. I have mix feelings about forsalebyowner.com. It is a brokerage but the name is misleading.

Am very glad this one isn't true. Been an awful lot of bad press lately with the NAR.

Thanks for the info. I guess fsbo dot com is just trying to market their own site.

I would just like to mention that the title of this blog mentions the wrong "FSBO" website. FSBO.com and Forsalebyowner.com are in no way related to each other. They are two completely separate companies, and are in direct competition with each other.

The press release you are all discussing was not written by www.fsbo.com.

Hi Charles - it was sneaky, and it does make you wonder why they'd put something out like that that wasn't true. I did a lot of reading to make sure all the NAR & REALTOR.com stuff denying this was actually true. I just hope it isn't telling of the future on this issue.

Hey Neal - I agree with you about those who want the services having to pay for them just like we do. And I know REALTOR.com/Move.com pulled some really nasty stuff on us in the past. One of our very own AR members is, and has been, a very avid watchdoy and has called htem on numerous things in the past - Jim Lee is held in very high esteem for the things he's called them out on over the years. I have enhanced listings with them, and I have gotten sporadic business from that, actually selling a few of my listings that way. I paid them for several years in the beginning then ditched them because of the junk they kept pulling, and then went back to having enhanced sites as a lisitng tool, and I used it for what it's worth.

Thanks for commenting,
Ann

Ubong - I'm glad they did, too. Just wish they'd done it sooner and more vociferously than they did.

Bill - I am constantly amazed at how facts get twisted and then spread all over the internet in various forms. They spread like wildfire, but try to dispute anything and it never seems to see the light of day or people just choose to ignore it because it doesn't bring the traffic.

Weichert REALTOR - that's a great comment with some very interesting points in it. I'd bet that most REALTORS who do those entry-only listings have no clue the onus is on them for that kind of compliance by the seller. From what I've seen, once they put it into the MLS, give them some flyers or whatever stuff they do, and then collect their fee, htey think they're done. And perhaps they are per their agreement, but it sounds like the Code doesn't let them off that easily. Some states mandate minimum services that must be provided as well.

Charlie - bring it on baby!! I couldn't agree more with your comment about NAR getting stronger with the things they do. As you said, NAR is the largest trade association there is, and they should show it when things like this pop up - take strong stances and truly represent us as members.

Maureen - not that I have been able to find as yet. If anyone finds one, I hope they'll post it here.

Michael - I had read a number of those as well, and left comments on a few of them about that story not being true. I also read a number of outside blogs that had the same info on them as well.

Thank you for the comments!
Ann

Many thanks for my featured post!!

Ann

Hi Jeff - no doubt misleading info will forever continue way beyond all of us being here, that's for sure! It existed long before the internet came along, and will exist forever, I'm sure. Some of it is done inncently enough, other times it's done maliciously and/or for attention. Whatever the reasons, it doesn't take too much effort to do a little digging to see if something is accurate and factual or not.

Karen - that is sad, and very telling as well. With the stuff that had been pulled in the past, this could well have been true, and thankfully it wasn't true this time. It's too bad NAR/REALTOR.com didn't come out sooner and much stronger with their disputing those claims.

Pat - thanks for stopping by.

Stephen - LOL!! That comment cracked me up!

Marlene - I agree about the misleading part, consumers don't understand what it really is.

My thanks for reading and commenting!
Ann

Thanks for bringing some clarity to the muddy waters. I've heard a lot of STUFF...but I'm not quick to believe everything I hear...thanks to my wonderful mother. She taught me to check the source before accepting something at face value. She was a wise woman!! GBU~

Excellent post Ann. So many people are running around crying about the supposed sell out when in fact it was not true.

I realize that entry only MLS listings are very close to being FSBOS but they are still technically listed by an agent even if no agency representation exsists.

Tami - I'm glad as well!

Gary - I've given up trying to figure out what others are really doing. I'm just happy their claim isn't true.

Michael - that's my mistake in the title - I'll go fix that now. I do have the correct company sited in the body of the post. Thanks for catching that!

Ann

I agree that there is not a partnership between REALTOR.org and FSBO.com.

BUT

REALTOR.org and NAR made a HUGE mistake in not spelling out what could be said and how things could be advertise. This should have been covered up front, not somewhere just buried in the legal contract.

REALTOR.org lost 6 figures on that announcement.

REALTOR.org just keeping making mistakes, they seem not to learn or care.

Mike Parker

Ann, I've been reading all the Hoopla over the past week and have been really confused. Your post has been really helpful about the "truth" of what is really going on.

Hi Elizabeth - you are as wise as your mom taught you to be! And thank you!! ;-)

Hey Monika - thank you! After I'd read the umpteenth post about it and started thinking about all the people who'd read those posts believing it was factual, I felt the need to write this post, so I did! I hope it helps get the facts out there, and that it causes people to maybe do a tiny bit of digging before just believing anything they read online.

Thanks for the comments!
Ann

Realtor.com is outdated. Even with all of the changes it still is outdated. Buyer's want to search a site where all of the listings have mutiple photo's and all of the listings have a description, not just the ones who can afford the subscription. This site was supposed to be the flagship for NAR and ALL of it's Realtors, not just a select few who can afford or justify it.

Hi Mike - it would seem like language would have been covered somewhere. What did you mean when you said "REALTOR.org lost 6 figures on that announcement"?

Hi Debbie - I'm glad you found this post helpful. I think by including bullets of the posts and statements made by NAR, REALTOR.org, etc, helps to clear up the confusion and misinformation that's out there about this issue.

Ann

Thanks Ann, for shedding light on this. This is why you are one of the best....you stay so well informed. I rarely come across a post that I find to be actuallt newsworthy. THis one should be published in the Times.

Ann,

The number of REALTORS who have drop membership because of this, I know quite a few who have already.

Second, the loss of trust the agents will have REALTOR.org. In the very near future, they will be question to death because of this. Different chat rooms are a blazed with correct and incorrect info about this announcement. It will cost them major money that could have been handled if they just open up their ears and listen to agents vs. Wall Street!

Mike Parker

Ann, I dumped Realtor dot com months ago, like a hot potato. I got very few leads and feel my money and time is much better spent elsewhere, like Active Rain! Can't beat free and Google juice. I feel Realtor dot com hasn't had our best interests at heart for years. So, off to bigger and better, IMHO. Thanks for clearing it up.

I received an email from my regional NAR director this morning about this and thanked her for setting the record straight. I have yet to see a retraction from forsalebyowner.com.

thanks for so much useful information...

Ann I have been hearing so many rumors about this, thank you so much for putting out the facts.

I am glad that NAR has made a statement. I just went to ForSaleByOwner.com and checked to see if there have been any changes after NAR's official statement. Why, then, does the ForSaleByOwner.com site as of this posting still advertise posting to Realtor.com while retaining rights to sell by owner? Here's the exact wording now on their website:

"You can advertise your property on Realtor.com- the country's most popular real estate site with nearly 5 million monthly visitors - no matter where you live in the United States. You will also be on ForSaleByowner.com and retain the right sell "for sale by owner" and save thousands of dollars"

If as NAR and this post claim they are represented, how can the website promotoing this make the above claim that they are retaining their for sale by owner rights?

Ann,

Thanks for sharing this information. This is a great example of how things can get twisted and misconstrued very easily. As bloggers, I guess we all need to hold ourselves to a higher standard and make sure to do our due diligence when doing our homework and expressing opinions as fact.

We think everyone has been in agreement on this topic that realtor.com serves almost no purpose for realtors, providing next to no leads and offering no business to most. Plus the fees are ridiculous. Based on that fact alone, most people now don't trust NAR.

Anne - I had been following this same thread and read Saul's response. NAR better get on the ball and nip things like this in the bud before it reaches the level that this has. With all the misgivings that we as Realtors have about Realtor.com and Move.com there should really be a more concerted effort by NAR to look out for best interests of their membership.

This has been one of the most heated topics I've come across in the past weeks...wonder how it will pan out.

What's Realtor.com? ; ) - good post and comments!

Ann,

Thanks for the informative post. I belong to point2 so I had already seen Saul's comments, but it was interesting to note that BEFORE there was clarification on the subject, almost every post was negative in their comments about realtor.com and it did not sound as though those folks would be changing their minds anytime soon, even if realtor.com was "vindicated".

Hi Ann,

Thanks for taking the time to get the facts, there were so many conflicting posts about this. :)

here is the exact wording from the forsalebyowner.com site:

Get Your Home Featured on Realtor.com

Advertise your property on Realtor.com and put your property in front of an additional 5 million potential buyers - no local MLS listing required. Your property will be featured in a Realtor.com Showcase Listing for 6 months, and you can post up to 25 photos, receive email inquiries from buyers right in your inbox, and take advantage of a voice message system that gives buyers your direct contact information.

What happens after you purchase a Realtor.com Showcase Listing?

Step 1: After you purchase a package that includes a Realtor.com Showcase Listing, you will receive an email with information on how to complete the forms that confirm your listing agreement. You can print these forms and return them by fax, or complete them online.

Step 2: In order to be featured on Realtor.com, you must indicate that you are willing to pay a buyer's agent 1% of the sale price of your home. However, by entering this agreement, you are not be obligated to accept any offer or pay any commission.

Step 3: Using the directions provided, complete and submit your forms. Upon receipt, your property will be listed on Realtor.com. Your broker affiliate will post up to 25 photos, with one main photo showing the front of your house or condo building. When you receive your listing confirmation forms, you will also receive instructions on how to submit photos.

here's the article about the DOJ "enabling" ForSaleByOwner.com to use Realtor.com at

http://www.realtown.com/articles/view/doj-enables-forsalebyowner-com-to-use-realtor-com

For those who don't want to click on the link in Stephen White's comment above to read the article written by Blanche Evans, here is the middle part of her article:

"If the seller is willing to pay a buyer's agent, they are placed with a flat-fee broker in their own area's MLS. If they don't want to pay a buyer's broker, they are placed in an out-of-area MLS where they can put a token compensation to buyers brokers. Either way, the listing is forwarded to Realtor.com via the MLS and posted on the search by the home's zip code.

The contact for the listing is an 800-number supplied by ForSaleByOwner that goes directly to the seller, or the flat-fee broker can forward the prospect to the seller.

Greg Healy, Vice President of Operations at ForSaleByOwner.com, explains that ForSaleByOwner.com does not have an agreement with Realtor.com, as correctly pointed out by the NAR. But it does have agreements with flat-fee brokers to place FSBOs into local and out of area MLSs to enable consumers to avoid paying full-fee listing agents.

When asked if this isn't all a bit, well "icky," (sellers being encouraged to go out of area to avoid brokers' fees, using 800 numbers to mask sellers as their own brokers, etc.) Healy responded, "We help facilitate the seller and sharing of MLSs and support different business models. The key point is it helps set the table for different types of brokers so they won't be discriminated against. Our fight is to open the MLS and work with brokers who have been impacted by NAR actions before the DOJ settlement."

For full-service brokers who may be angered at being outwitted on their own national association Website, ForSaleByOwner extends an olive branch. They say they're working within the guidelines of the "settlement," and that the sellers using Realtor.com are in fact - represented..."

In that article, Mr. Greg Healy admits that ForSaleByOwner.com does NOT have an agreement with REALTOR.com as all the misinformation says, and as his own press release states. They are, however, getting in the MLS's and onto REALTOR.com through their flat fee arrangements with brokers willing to work that way. To read the full article, please click on the link here, as provided by Stephen White:

http://www.realtown.com/articles/view/doj-enables-forsalebyowner-com-to-use-realtor-com

This will fully explain what ForSaleByOwner.com is actually doing to get those listings on to REALTOR.com. And it's NOT our own trade association betraying us by allowing them in there.

Thanks Stephen for that link. I had read that article yesterday but couldn't find it this morning when I put this post up.

Ann

your welcome Ann! thanks for your clarification!

Thanks for posting this. I am glad NAR spoke up.

Thanks Ann - I too have been reading about this on Active Rain quite a bit.

And it seems like everybody and their sister had a different perspective on it - but finally somebody went right to the source!

Thanks :)

Evening Ann, Glaad to see that NAR acted quickly to try to correct the misleading press release. Has it been retracted ?

Hi Rebecca - what a nice compliment - thank you!

Hi Mike - it is sad how many seem to be disillisioned with NAR and REALTOR.com. There are plenty of good things NAR does and has done, and I've had my share of disappointment with REALTOR.com. REALTOR.org is an entirely different site - solely for NAR members, like an intranet if you will.

Hi Elizabeth - I dumped them a long time ago as well, but have been back using their enhanced sites for the last few years. I use it as a listing tool, but have also gotten some decent leads from my enhanced sites there, and have sold some of my listings from there, too.

Ann

Regardless they are able to get their listings in the MLS, even if it is by circumventing a broker. FSBO list it with a broker and he puts it in at a lot less commission then several days later he withdraws it but it stays on Realtor.com.

in our area... at supermarket checkout they are "stamps?.... ice?.... MLS listing?

Hi Ann- we need a RealtySnopes.com for rumors of this sort. It's good that NAR acted so quickly to stamp out the mis-information. Good post, I'm sure many missed the press release.

Great information however the rates that Realtor.com charge us as Realtors would be an issue that I would like see addressed.

It is what we call an Entry only MLS listing in NH. The FSBO lists with agent who for an upfront fee places it in MLS (and therefore R.com) but offers no other service. There is a Buyer Agent fee offered in MLS and the buyer agent deals directly with the un-represented seller.

I am not a fan of R.com and do not not pay for an enhanced site. I have for many years felt it was a nothing but a REALTOR gouging site. Maybe I'd feel differently if I actually got something off of R.com...but I haven't- ever- even when I paid for a site.

Sadly, I do think this will hurt RELTORS as the FSBO sites will promote R.com and entry only listings to get into R.com.

Ann,

Thanks for clearing the air ! What is interesting is that I had not even heard this... I guess we are too engrained in our deals ! But Im glad that that statement was refuted... makes me feel better. Also, Move.com is now trading under $1.00 per share... they may need to do something anyway to stay in business... am starting to think that it is becoming a good buy as realtor.com certainly has some value !

Michael - I know there are a lot of issues that people have with REALTOR.com. I pay to have my listings enhanced, a business decision I made and it works for me. I'd like it to work more than it does, but I do get business from my listings being on there in the enhanced format, and my sellers like it as well.

Debbie - I am kinda getting the feeling that unless R.com/NAR force the issue, there will be no retraction or even clarification forthcoming from ForSaleByOwnerdotcom.....

James - you're welcome, glad it helped get the word out.

Ann - it's there to attract those sellers who think they want to go it alone and have the same service we pay for, albeit quite misleading on the surface.

Joel - I wish there was some higher standard because then we wouldn't have to see some of the junk we do, but then that might interfere with freedom of speech...... Doing our homework before putting pen to paper ( fingers to keyboard) should be just plain common sense, in my opinion.

Castellum Realty - I think there are probably a lot who would agree with what you wrote, but certainly not everyone. I don't agree with your comment about no leads and no business, as I get and have gotten both from my enhanced listings. Now the fees, that's another story - I don't think they should be anywhere near the price that they are. People need to separate REALTOR.com from NAR - two separate entities.

Donna - I would agree that they need to nip this in the bud, a little late for that given all the posts and articles I read before I wrote this post. But they certainly could do more than they've done that I've been able to find. They should have come out swinging on that erroneous press release.

Many thanks for all these comments!
Ann

Jon - that is the big question - how will all this end up??

Georgina - LOL!! ;-)

Barb - nope, I doubt any minds will be changed at all as opinions had already been formed on misinformation. And many wouldn't care what the facts were, if it has anything to do with R.com, forget it.

Suzanne - lots of misinformation out there on this one, and it spread like crazy before NAR or REALTOR.com came out with any kind of refuting post. In this day and age, one has to act much quicker than they did this time.

Lenny - I think most of us have now seen that wording far too many times at this point. But thanks for putting it up there for those who may have somehow missed it.

Ann

Thank you for clearing this up! Thank goodness it isn't truly what we were initially led to believe!

Stephen - thanks again for that link, and you're welcome!

Brenda - you're welcome, and I'm glad they spoke up as well.

Mark - oh yeah, LOTS of opinions for sure! ;-)

Bill - no retraction yet that I've found.... ;-(

Charles - that's better than being able to get them up there without a broker, I think. I don't like that business model either, but it's here for now.

Lenny - yuk, I don't like that at all! Not all that long ago, in a small town near me, there was a sign that read something like "'beer, bait, real estate" or something like that.

Thanks much for all these comments!
Ann

I didn't read all of the comments; will next but I still believe that NAR needs to create some type of rules here. If a local board decides to allow non NAR members to be members of MLS only I don't see the issue but I do see the issue with NAR allowing those listings on their website; the one that represents NAR and we are the only ones that pay the dues; not these non-NAR companies.

Gail - I like that idea, "RealtySnopes.com"!!! Great idea!

Donald - I wonder if there's a REALTOR.com blog where you could talk about their rates? There probably is somewhere.

Monika - I agree totally with your comment about this hurting REALTORS, and many times those unrepresented sellers end up getting hurt too, and many times they don't even know it.

Christopher & Stephanie - $1.00 a share! Wow, and when I think back on where that stock had gotten to when I sold mine way back when. I wonder what it will ever climb back up to?? Certainly not likely to ever get back up to the price it was when many sold their shares that were puchased as an IPO.

Ann

Mara - Yeah, that would not have been good at all. I'm thinking there might have been a little bloodbath over that one had it been true.

Susan - the local or statewide MLS's are the ones that decide which listings go up onto REALTOR.com, so the issue would be with your local MLS and how they handle non-REALTOR members.

Ann

In this age a information over load, there is a lot of misinformation being passed around. It puts a big burden on everyone to check out what they are reading.

Ann, i agree but I still believe that since NAR is National that they need devise some sort of ruling that is to be followed by state & local Associations. Guidelines would be good.

Ann- I think the point that there's a lot of misinformation out there has been proven over and over, but this was just too much. Some people have a lot of nerve that's all I have to say :)

One of the dangers of the Internet is how easily it can create 'false authority.' If something doesn't sound right, people need to question it -- regardless of how credible they believe the source to be.

Sounds like the sources everyone should be upset with are ForSaleByOwner.com and the Brokers who are willing to participate in the system that ForSaleByOwner.com is presenting. ForSaleByOwner.com would not be able to accomplish this without those participating Brokers. Not sure why Brokers/Agents would want to participate with ForSaleByOwner.com, especially seeing how dishonest and misleading they were in the press release.

The rumor is jsut that, a rumor but they sure got a lot of milage out of it. Who could afford to pay for this sort of advertising!

Ann, well thank God. I certainly hope that Realtor.com and Move.com remember whence they came from...sometimes they seem to forget.

Glad to see that you are setting the record right.

NOV

Ann-so much mis information is available isn't it? It's sometime so time consuming to get the facts...It doesn't matter to me what MLS listings go in there...except the key words there...is MLS listings and should be listed with a broker regarless of fees...regardless of property it just needs to be listed with a broker!

FSBO -- like they say about people who represent themselves in court -- "The one that represents themselves has a FOOL for a client" :) Great post thanks for sharing -- JE

NOV

Hi Randy - it was great to meet you in Orlando! The internet has sure made a proliferation of all kinds of info - good, bad and indifferent - so readily available, and I know there are plenty of people who are too quick to believe what they see online because it's online.

Hi Susan - they do have a ruling and it's that the statewide and local MLS's have the choice in what listings they allow to be uploaded to R.com. Choice has to be there, or the DOJ could be all over them again, and who wants that?

Hi Kathy - ;-) Just sayin'......

Hi John - yep, 'false authority' is one of the by-products of the online world we live in. It is really too bad a little more digging isn't done before jumping on the bandwagon of some stuff.

Hi Misty - I couldn't agree more with you comment about taking part in that type of business model, but then that kind of choice is what makes the world go round. I don't know why consumers choose that route, but that's their choice. Most end up with a full-service broker here in my area, at least those that I've tracked, so why not start there to begin with......

Hi Kristal - as that old saying goes, bad PR is better than no PR at times, and it just may have been for them on this one, sadly.....

Hi Gena - thanks, hope this clears up some of the misinformation that had taken on a life of its own.

Hi Midori - yep, listed with a broker is the key. Their choice of business model, well that's a whole other discussion....

Hi Jason - can you see me smiling about your comment!?!?!?! ;-)))

Thanks for the great comments everyone!
Ann

Hi Ann,

The NAR published a press release today indicating that in no way will the MLS system and NAR publish FSBO listings. To bad the FSBO guys got all of that publicity. On the other hand, we have seen Zillow pick up the Houston MLS listings. With syndication, the MLS could look radically different in 10 years. My two cents.

Hi Tracy - it's about time that press release appeared, although at this point, it's too little too late. They did get a ton of mileage out of that publicity for sure.

Ann

NOV

A Fool for a client indeed!

Thanks for clearing the air around this issue!

Hi Angela - you're welcome, and many thanks for reading this post!

Ann

MAY

I wanted to add this post and pose the question why hasn't www.Realtor.com forced the issue with ForSaleByOwner.com as of today almost six months after the above post and well after the discussion has been going on you can visit the site and see the offer still active saying go thru ForSaleByOwner.com to list on Realtor.com is still there and people would not know that this is mis leading?

I, like Brandon, checked this week and still found ForSaleByOwner.com encouraging direct contact with owners. Disappointed in NAR. This misleads the public.

Here it is! I knew at least one person wrote about it on AR in November but I was pretty sure it was Members Only, I recognized the issue when it was brought up about another company using the loop hole now. eList.me? I thought reading it last fall that NAR could stop it.

I think if you look at it carefully you will see that NAR can not do anything about it. The members doing it are real estate agents and members of NAR. The listings are limited service listing... in an out of state MLS. Just a different business model.

I don't think NAR even got ForSaleByOwner.com to print a retraction for saying they had a partnership with Realtor.com

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